Don't feel alone. Every single job I have worked on since I was 14, I've been bored to death.

It may be two things, firstly, you haven't found your passion or secondarily you won't find the job you want, working for other people. For me Its the later (innovation, entrepreneur). I've grown up always analyzing how things could be better. Even today, I'll walk into a place and analyze how they could improve their business. For me its already programed. I'm not sure if other entrepreneurs think on a similar wave length, but it might help you understand who you are? If it helps, I didn't understand that I was an entrepreneur until I started to meet up with other young entrepreneurs, through events and networking nights.

Don't listen to what other people 'tell you' what you are. I often get laughed at, for telling people, I'm an entrepreneur "So what your unemployed" But to give you an idea, after talking with lots and lots of Entrepreneurs and business people, I've come to the conclusion, that you can't really define an entrepreneur. We have similar traits, but besides that we're all different, and all come from variety of different backgrounds and experiences. We are, but a product of our environment. 

So the next process of thinking is; everyone has ideas, its only a few who act on them. If you have an idea that you thinking 'might work', stop thinking about it and go and do it. Don't analyze it for six-12 months, otherwise nothing will get done. Just Fucking do it. If you make mistakes, lose money, harden up. Its all part of the entrepreneurial journey. Failure by any-means is a great learning tool. Never see it as a bad thing, but something that you'll grown and develop from.

Since I've rambled on long enough, I suggest you do two things. Firstly, start to attend some local entrepreneur groups and events and talk with as many people as you can. Tell them your ideas and Essentially, 'pick their brains'. If you're not 100% comited to the idea, I suggest you go and do something that you're passionate about. It could be something as simple as bike riding. Don't judge it on the income basis, but for the pure satisfaction you get when you do it. As with anything in life, you can make money on it. You could be a Plumber and turn your business into a multi million dollar distribution business or construction company. The sky is the limit. Find what you love and you'll never 'work' a day in your life.

I hope this helps?

One last thing. Just fucking do it.

Do their values, views and briefs correlate to yours?

Are they ambitious, negative or cruisey?

Do these issues really matter?

Yes.

You are, who your friends are. In-fact, the five closest people you hang around with. They influence, your behaviour and decisions.

If your ambitious, focused, and positive, should you hang around with stagnant, lazy and negative people? No.

Hang around with people who share similar, values, views and beliefs - It can make, all the difference.

I'm in my forth month, of my startup sub7le (www.sub7le.com)

I'm frustrated, demoralized, stressed and un-motivated.

I can't go out to dinner with friends, or my partner. I'm unable to have a few beers with my friends. Go to the movies, or even get a coffee.

Why?

I'm running a startup.

Shouldn't you be happy, that you're doing what you love? 

I am, but unfortunately, Im in the awkward phase of startup land. The phase where nothing seems to get any better. Where everything you've worked so hard for, didn't catch on. Your projected targets are far from reality, and life just, generally sucks. 

So, why bother going on?

Because I know, that this is only a phase.

I'll grow and develop. I'll be stronger, wiser and smarter by the time this phases passes.

And i know that, If i give in now, I lose more than just an idea. I lose, my vision, my goals, my dreams and my love.

I know, It's only a phase.

Let me guess, you have some ideas, but your not really sure if they'll work? if the concept is the best? if the time is right? If the market wants your product? I suggest you do two things.

Step one.

• Write down all the ideas you have in one list. Make it as large as possible and include every idea you can think of!
• Next, cut the list in half. Select only the best ideas and cut out the ones that you cant see working. Repeat this process of selection, until your down to your top three ideas (this process is not easy, so be tough, and realistic)
• Write down an outline for each of the three concepts. Include the who, what, when why and how - flesh them out and test them, as much as possible. Pass the ideas among friends and family and ask for opinions.
• Now choose the idea that you would consider putting. sweat, tears, sleepless nights and pain into for a period of 3-5 years. 

Step two.

JUST FUCKING DO IT. Stop talking about it. Get as much done as possible, work out everything you can. Work out the market, the product, the distribution channels, the cost and so on. Just go out and do as much research as possible and FUCKING DO IT! The amazing thing is the rest will fall into place. If you have the passion to achieve this goal, you can achieve it. If you think you can't or might, don't. Its a waste of time and resources, so focus your energy and passion into something else.

Remember every skill in business can be learn. Don't let fear hold you back.

Now go out, and change the world.

'I have no time'
'I would rather play Angry Birds' 'Facebook is more important' blah blah blah...

Stop making excuses and start reading, now!

What kind of reading? ANY!!!! It doesn't have to be a literary giant such as War and Peace, but as long as its mentally stimulating, read it!

If your not a book fan, start subscribing to RSS Feeds, of people who inspire you. Read these daily and you'll find amazing things happen. Your vocabulary is broadened, your communication skills increase and you start to enjoy learning new and exciting things.

Now stop reading this and go do it!!!

I sent an email to a collegue i met on the weekend, at a networking event, so i figured it would be great to share some of the business tools I use every single day. I hope you gain something from this, even if it's something small. 

Hootsuite - I love this app! I use it to send Status Updates, Tweets and track my Twitter feed. It has great capabilities as far as stats go. Once you sign up, you can use the web based browser, to track your links which will be converted into a url for tracking. www.hootsuite.com

Gmail and Google Docs (If you don't have a gmail account, i recommend you use it for your business) It has so many powerful features for email. Google Docs, is great to write down ideas and notes on the run as it will automatically update instantly. You can edit these on a PC at a later date. Plus it's almost as powerful as the Microsoft Office Suite. www.gmail.com

Google Chrome. I would download this browser for its sheer speed and add-ons which saves you, lots of time. http://www.google.com/chrome/

Google Reader - This is another add-on for Gmail, but i love to subscribe to blog RRS feeds. - This can also be downloaded for your phone. Another reason to get a gmail account.

ChromedBird - a Google Chrome add-on. Great to check your Twitter feed. You can also create Twitter Lists and view them with this add-on. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/encaiiljifbdbjlphpgpiimidegddhic

Posterous. A great way to start a blog without having to have a domain address. You can simply sign up and post straight away. Two handy features of this service, are; firstly it can be integrated into your website and secondarily you can simply email a post to post@posterous.com and it will be live on your blog asap. www.posterous.com - also an app you can download for your mobile.

By the way, all of the apps mentioned in this post are available on Android.

I went to a conference last Saturday hosted by The Entourage for the largest gathering of young entrepreneurs in Australia. The event focused on Youth Entrepreneurs in the 18-35 category and featured speakers such as Creel Price, Jack Delosa, the developers of Spreets and Dr Sam Prince. I gained lots, from the event and in particular one speaker Dr Same Prince, changed my life path forever.

Dr Sam Prince is a doctor, an entrepreneur and philantropist. He's the creatior of; Zambreros, a Mexican Restaurant chain, 1disease an organsation which aims to eradicate one disease within Australian at a time and the E-magine Foundation, which provides health and education resources to Indigenous Australia and developing countries around the world. Overall he's one busy, focused and passionate guy!

I managed to get a chance to talk with Sam, at the events after-party about his views and beliefs on the entrepreneurial journey. He suggested that holding on to and standing up for what you believe in is the most important part of ones entrepreneurial journey - lots of people that will tell you what your doing is wrong, and you should go off and follow what everyone else is doing but in honesty, if you stay focused on your dream, then you can achieve anything. After hearing this, he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. Being not 100% certain of my path, i told him that "I want to be an entrepreneur, but I'm not sure what yet. I have lots of ideas, but nothing solid. I know that I will do something great with my life but i haven't found out what it is" in his wisdom he sent me a text message, told me to read it, as it changed his life.

The FountainHead - Ayn Rand

This view of man has rarely been expressed in human history. Today, it is virtually non-existent. Yet this is the view with which--in various degrees of longing, wistfulness, passion and agonized confusion--the best of mankind's youth start out in life. It is not even a view, for most of them, but a foggy, groping, undefined sense made of raw pain and incommunicable happiness. It is a sense of enormous expectation, the sense that one's life is important, that great achievements are within one's capacity, and that great things lie ahead.

It is not in the nature of man--nor of any living entity--to start out by giving up, by spitting in one's own face and damning existence; that requires a process of corruption whose rapidity differs from man to man. Some give up at the first touch of pressure; some sell out; some run down by imperceptible degrees and lose their fire, never knowing when or how they lost it. Then all of these vanish in the vast swamp of their elders who tell them persistently that maturity consists of abandoning one's mind; security, of abandoning one's values; practicality, of losing self-esteem. Yet a few hold on and move on, knowing that that fire is not to be betrayed, learning how to give it shape, purpose and reality. But whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man's nature and of life's potential.

There are very few guideposts to find. The Fountainhead is one of them.

This is one of the cardinal reasons of The Fountainhead's lasting appeal: it is a confirmation of the spirit of youth, proclaiming man's glory, showing how much is possible.

It does not matter that only a few in each generation will grasp and achieve the full reality of man's proper stature--and that the rest will betray it. It is those few that move the world and give life its meaning--and it is those few that I have always sought to address. The rest are no concern of mine; it is not me or The Fountainhead that they will betray: it is their own souls.

After five or so minutes of digesting this massive text, I came to the realization that a dream, is a personal matter. The only person that can make or break a dream, is ourselves. We are faced with many barriers on our journey and most of those are the beliefs of others. Although each has their own beliefs, its only our own that matter. As without this dream, we would be living a lie?

I told him about my realization, and he suggested that I should never give up on my dream, as many famous entrepreneurs followed theirs and changed the world. Its from this experience that my life has changed forever and I thank the Entourage Crew for organising this event! In order to thank all those involved, i wanted to share my story with anyone who's looking at becoming an entrepreneur or is following a dream because anything is possible.

Don't give up, just believe in yourself!!

Kind Regards,

Todd Suttle

Read the rest of this post »